Multi-million pound backing for uni project

A PROJECT to help turn research at the North East's five universities into jobs and economic growth has received multimillion-pound backing from the Government.

- GRAEME WHITFIELD

The North East Strategic Commercialisation project, a five-year programme involving Durham, Newcastle, Northumbria, Sunderland and Teesside universities, has been awarded £8.9m from Research England.

The project aims to build on the back of the Northern Accelerator spin-out programme, and is one of four schemes nationally to secure Government backing.

The universities have also come together recently through the Universities for North East England initiative, which aims to bolster the institutions’ impact on the region.

The project will be working with an existing portfolio of 60 spin-out businesses to promote exporting and enhance the investment finance available in the region.

A dedicated team will work across the universities to enhance regional commercialisation.